Hosting a Get-Together to Be Safe

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Do you know your neighbors? In city life, people come and go, and it’s easy to lose track of those who live around you. At least, that’s been the case with us.

So this week, I’m hosting the kick-off for our first neighborhood safety group get-together. Having walked door-to-door with a flyer, we’ve already been able to build our contact list to alert each other to safety issues. And this group will also serve as our network for earthquakes and other emergencies.

In our first face-to-face meeting this week, our guest speakers will be our city and county district supervisor and our precinct police captain. They’ll give us an overview of any issues in our district and provide safety tips.

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Easy Appetizers for Brides and Valentines

By Sandy Hu

My friend Molly was married in Chicago a week ago Saturday, and by all accounts, she was an exquisitely beautiful, radiant bride who planned a flawless wedding. Molly and John were honeymooning in the Napa Valley so they stopped by to say hello on their way back to SFO, where they would catch a plane home the next day.

I wanted to create a festive get-together for the four of us, with sparkling wine and a few nibbles to celebrate. But since Friday was a work day, it had to be simple.

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Faux Foie: a Sumptuous Super Bowl Spread on a Pauper’s Budget

By Katie Barreira

Foie gras, literally, “fat liver,” is a famously French product manufactured by over-feeding geese (traditionally) or ducks, forcing the animal’s liver to more than double in size. The culinary result is a sinfully rich and silky spread that is the piece de resistance of fine dining menus and one of my favorite indulgences.

Other aspects of foie’s sinful nature have been brought to light, not only by animal rights activists, but also by chefs, like Charlie Trotter, who made foie gras (and himself) infamous when he succeeded in having the specialty item legally banned in Chicago. (The law was repealed two years later.)

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Easy Apps

By Lori Powell

Happy New Year! My gift to you is a quick and easy-to-assemble hors d’oeuvre to put together in minutes, as long as you have a couple of items around in your pantry. It’s as convenient whether you are entertaining just one other person or are having a bunch of friends over.

The following “recipe” is really a non recipe and is truly just some ideas on what to fill readymade, store-bought little phyllo cups with. The boxes of phyllo cups are sold in the freezer section of the supermarket near the phyllo sheets and puff pastry.

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